> "It's a little bit difficult for us as [front-end developers]… We're kind of unique in our field. That's because the sort of stuff that we do, is not taught in college. ​ That's huge, for the number of people we have doing this…​ So, everybody learned on their own."

I think that's why we (and everyone else) have such a tough time finding good front-end developers, as opposed to good designers or "classically trained" computer science grads ("server side" developers).

I though of a metaphor tonight, of why I don't really care much to argue about CSS stuff. (Soundboard, versus playing jazz.)

The following is an email I sent to a guy whose coworker was arguing with him (and I by proxy, me) over whether fluid grid systems should have percentage based, or fixed-width, gutters.

I was trying to explain why I don't really care one way or the other, and had also (in a previous email) explained that gutters in Unsemantic.com are configurable via a single Sass variable ($gutter-half).

—————

{{name}}:

One of the reasons I don't really like to argue about CSS (anymore) is that a lot of my job, the majority of the coding anyway, is writing JavaScript.

(Either for web-based stuff, or in Titanium – that compiles down to Android/iOS for "native" apps.)

I feel like "I have bigger fish to fry," when it comes to where I spend my time.

By way of example…

The unsemantic-grid-responsive-tablet.css file (the biggest one, with IE7 support and a tablet breakpoint) is 2137 lines long.

"Another reason is that I think academic environments are artificial environments. People who succeed there are sort of finely trained, they’re conditioned to succeed in that environment. One of my own frustrations when I was in college and grad school is that you knew the professor was looking for a specific answer. You could figure that out, but it’s much more interesting to solve problems where there isn’t an obvious answer. You want people who like figuring out stuff where there is no obvious answer."

I didn't particularly apply myself in college. I was too busy making video game levels for the Sith and Quake 3 engines (Jedi Knight 1 & 2). That led me to want to have a website, so that I could send links to friends, to download my levels.

And here I am today, doing web (and mobile) development as a career. Completely unrelated to my bachelor's or master's degree.